MOSCOW, Idaho – The University of Idaho athletics department is excited to announce that head soccer coach and reigning Big Sky Coach of the Year Derek Pittman has accepted a contract extension that will keep him in charge of the Vandals through March 31, 2020.
“We are fortunate to have a coach of Derek's caliber and we're excited that he agreed to this most recent extension,” said Director of Athletics Rob Spear. “It's important that we provide as much stability as we can in our athletic programs and this extension does just that. Derek has done a tremendous job of bringing in great student-athletes so far and will surely continue doing so. The future of Vandal soccer is very bright.”
“First off, I'm really thankful to Dr. Spear and President Staben for giving me this opportunity,” Pittman said. “I'm really thankful and honored to be able to continue leading this team as we build for the future.”
The deal is complete with several bonuses and incentives as well, based not only in on-field success but also in academic achievement and progress.
“I'm extremely excited to be able to sign an extension and continue building what we're doing here at Idaho,” continued Pittman. “I'm especially excited that we have our staff back, on top of my own personal situation.
“My wife and I want to be here and we're very proud to be Vandals. We're excited about not only what the future holds for our program but what it holds for our family here in Idaho as well. I think it'll be huge for our recruits to know that I'm going to be here for a long time while we continue building this program into a championship contender year in and year out.”
The Vandals enjoyed their best season in team history last year, setting program records in goals, assists and shutouts while tying the program record for wins. Idaho won the Big Sky outright, posting the first ever undefeated season in conference history. Eight different Vandals earned All-Big Sky accolades in 2015. The Vandals currently boast the longest unbeaten streak in the nation at 14 games.
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho soccer by following the team on Twitter and Instagram, @VandalsSoccer, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals Women's Soccer.
For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com. Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.
